St Mark’s School had been working hard for years, saving for their dream school hall, but it always seemed just out of reach.

We hear this story often, but for those who opt for a COLA Canopy®, the story always has a happy ending. These flexible, outdoor spaces are tailor-made for today’s schools. Principal Catherine Rivers said it best: “The COLA Canopy® was the obvious choice, and it actually gave us even more possibilities than we imagined.”

Finally, St Mark’s saw a light at the end of the tunnel! The COLA Canopy® was the perfect answer, and they couldn’t wait to see it take shape. After a quick tender process, Shade Systems was selected to bring their vision to life. During the design phase, Catherine had a brilliant idea: adding a stage beside the court with a ‘canopy wing’ attached to cover it. We love it when our clients think big, so we were thrilled to make this custom addition. The stage, extra canopy, lights, and speaker systems added even more versatility and functionality to the space.

The installation did come with a challenge: getting everything done during the two-week October school holidays. But we know schools like to keep big projects out of sight during term time, so our team was ready to roll. And as always, they delivered—the COLA Canopy® was up and ready for action just in time for the new term!